On The Loose
by Shadowdemon321
Summary: A rogue Shadowhunter is messing around with the other Nephilim. First seen in Idris, she has now been spotted in New York. The Shadowhunters at the Institute take interest, and the search continues.
1. Prologue

Chapter song: Witch Hunt, by Rush

Prologue

She flew through the trees, her strawberry blonde curls streaming behind her. She clutched her bow in her hand, and her quiver bumped against her back with every step. A wide grin stretched across her face; the chase was exhilarating, even though she was the one being chased. Her feet barely made a sound against the hard-packed earth. She stopped, listening to the sounds of her pursuers for a moment before reaching up and grabbing a low-hanging branch and pulling herself up, climbing the tree like a squirrel. She hid herself behind a cluster of leaves and watched as the Shadowhunters paused under her, searching for her. The grin never left her face, even as she slowly drew an arrow and notched it to her bow, raising it and taking aim. She took a steadying breath, and released, watching the arrow cut through the air and lodge itself in a tree, right in front of one of the Shadowhunters. So suddenly was it there, that he didn't notice it until he ran right into it. He yelled out and bent over, his hand covering his bleeding nose. She couldn't hold in the giggle that erupted from her throat, and covered her mouth, going completely still. They didn't see her, partly because, even though they were raised and trained to stay calm and miss nothing, they panicked. An invisible enemy was not one they wanted to face, especially with as good of an aim as she had.

They milled around stupidly below her for a few minutes longer, then moved on. She jumped down behind them, her grin back on her face, and retrieved her arrow. Then she headed off in the direction they had come from, almost skipping in her glee.

. .

I know it's short, but this is just the prologue. It didn't seem right to add anything else on the end of it. Next chapter will be longer. Please comment, constructive criticism or compliments only! Please no flaming, as I have no beta. I am the only one to see this before I submit it. Any suggestions for songs, as well, would be useful. Keep in mind that I have more of a taste for rock/metal, please. I will try to listen to all suggestions, though (except country; while I am sure many of you like country music, and I applaud you for being able to like it, I do not. That is just my opinion, however, and is not to be taken too seriously).

Thanks!


	2. Chapter 1

Chapter song: Bad Company, by Five Finger Death Punch (Scene two, when they encounter the rogue). Don't ask why. I was listening to it and got the idea for Scene 2, so I thought I would put it as the chapter song. It kind of fits.

DISCLAIMER: I do not own The Mortal Instruments. Cassandra Clare does. This goes for the prologue, too, since I forgot.

Chapter 1

Maryse rubbed her temple with two fingers, feeling a headache coming on. The rogue Shadowhunter had been seen in New York. The last place she had been seen was Brocelind Forest, in Idris. Now she was here, terrorizing the Shadowhunters that lived in the city. With a sigh, Maryse decided to set up a sort of family meeting, to warn her kids about the rogue.

She got up and went to the closest bedroom, which was Alec's. She knocked softly, and he answered almost immediately, his bottle-blue eyes widening slightly. "Mom?"

"Please find Jace and Isabelle and bring them to the library for me. I need to speak with all of you."

Alec nodded, his black hair flopping over his forehead. Maryse moved to the side as he walked past her, heading down to the training room. She went in the opposite direction, to the library. She sat at the large desk and waited for the teens to arrive.

Jace was the first to walk in. Strut was probably a better word for how he moved, though. His golden eyes glinted, and a small smirk played on his lips. His blonde hair was damp from the shower he had no doubt taken before coming. He sat down in front of her, a slightly bored expression on his face. Isabelle and Alec came in together, Isabelle's black hair also damp, and braided down her back. Her coal black eyes were curious, as were Alec's. They sat down on either side of Jace.

Maryse stood up with a sigh. "I wanted to talk to you about a certain…situation we have right now."

Jace's head tilted slightly to the side, indicating that she should continue.

"A rogue Shadowhunter has been spotted in New York. She used to be seen only in Idris, but she seems to have moved. I wanted to warn you because she tends to…tease other Shadowhunters." She watched all their reactions closely.

Alec's eyebrows furrowed together. "What do you mean by tease?"

"She is very good with a bow and arrow, and will shoot at you. She hasn't hit anyone directly, but likes to mess with us. One man's nose was broken because she shot her arrow into a tree just as he ran in that direction, and he ran into the arrow." Maryse frowned slightly to herself.

Isabelle spoke up now. "How will we know if we see her?"

Maryse handed them a picture of a girl with strawberry blonde hair down to the middle of her back, bow in hand, standing on the roof of the building. It was not a very good picture; it was blurry, and they could barely make out the girl's slight build. Jace frowned. "We can't tell much from this, you know."

"I know that. There is a way to tell if it is her, though. You can't see it very well in that picture, but we've been told she has a tattoo of a rose on the side of her neck. It's not very big, but it distinguishes her from others. Besides, I doubt you will ever see her without her bow. She wears Shadowhunter gear, too."

The three teenagers nodded, and Jace handed the picture back to her. "We'll keep an eye out."

Maryse nodded and dismissed them, trying to ignore the anxiety this brought on.

. .

Isabelle called Clary right after her mother let them go. "Clary, come over now! I want to talk to you."

Clary laughed on the other end. "You _are_ talking to me, Iz."

"I meant here! Please?" she begged.

She heard Clary sigh, and could imagine her rolling her eyes. "Fine. I'll be there in a little bit."

Isabelle waited by the doors for Clary to get there. When she did, Isabelle pulled her inside by the arm, already talking. "Okay, so I was thinking, and we should go to Pandemonium tonight. I have nothing else going on, and I'll be so bored otherwise!"

Clary blew out a sigh, and brushed some of her fiery red hair out of her face, narrowing her green eyes. "I suppose I have no choice in the matter?"

"None at all." Isabelle grinned. "You know me so well!"

Clary couldn't help but smile. Izzy was right; she did know her. Clary had been coming to the Institute to train since she was twelve, sent by her mother. Jocelyn knew Maryse well, so it was only natural that Clary knew Maryse's children well. She wasn't too big of a fan of Jace, but that couldn't be helped.

Clary was dragged to Isabelle's room, and the door shut behind her. She knew what was coming next, and surrendered. Fighting was useless when it came to Isabelle and fashion.

When Izzy was done with her, she looked amazing, as usual. The tight black dress came to mid-thigh, and was shot through with swirls of silver. Isabelle had forced her to wear knee-high black boots, though they weren't as tall as she had expected. Her eyes looked smoky and mysterious, and her hair was straightened.

Izzy, in a shiny gold mini skirt and black lacy shirt, dragged her out, where Jace and Alec were waiting. Apparently they were coming, too. They headed out, Isabelle chatting the whole time.

On the way, Clary scanned the rooftops; while beautifying her, Isabelle had informed her of the rogue. She thought she saw a flash of blonde, but passed it off as her imagination. But she saw it again in an alley, this time attached to a girl. She was only a little taller than Clary herself, and was dressed in black gear. She held a bow in one hand, and a quiver hung on her back. Her hair was pulled back in a ponytail, and Clary saw something small and dark on the left side of her neck. She stopped and stared at the girl, not wanting to scare her off but needing to let the others know. Jace noticed she had stopped, and trotted back to her, following her gaze. He tensed when he saw the girl, who grinned at them. Then she climbed the fire escape on the side of one of the buildings she was between, not using the stairs but rather climbing on the edge. She pulled herself up to the top of the building and studied them from above before pulling out an arrow and notching it to her bow, still grinning. She raised the bow and aimed.

"Alec! Izzy!" Jace shouted just before the girl let the arrow fly. It jammed itself in the mortar between the bricks of the brownstone Izzy and Alec were by. It landed right in front of Alec's nose, and he stopped before smacking his face into it. They heard a giggle, and saw the girl sitting on the edge of the roof, legs dangling. The bow lay at her side, and she looked greatly amused. She also didn't appear to be going anywhere any time soon. Nobody moved as the rogue studied them, and they studied her. Maryse had been right; it was kind of hard to miss her.

Jace stepped forward, apparently meaning to give chase, but the girl rose to her feet and ran, hopping over the closely placed rooftops until she disappeared. Jace immediately started to give chase, but Alec put a hand on his shoulder, stopping him.

"We can tell Mom when we get back," he said. "She's long gone by now."

Jace sighed, frustrated. "Fine. Call Mom and let her know now. She'll get mad if we don't tell her right away."

Alec nodded and pulled out his cell phone, bringing it to his ear. Clary leaned back against the brownstone behind her, frowning to herself. That girl hadn't wanted to hurt them. She was just messing with them. And she wasn't scared, either. She knew they wouldn't catch her.

. .

Please review!


	3. Chapter 2

Chapter songs: Until It Sleeps, by Metallica (Scene 1, while Jace is thinking about the rogue, simply because of these lyrics:

_Just like a curse, just like the stray_

_You feed it once, and now it stays_

_Now it stays_

I think it relates to his thoughts about her. He can't get his mind off her. No, not romantically :p.)

Catch Me If You Can, by Alice Cooper (Scene 2, with the rogue. It is a slightly twisted song, and, though she is not nearly as demented, the idea is there.)

Chapter 2

Maryse had made them come back to the Institute immediately, and Isabelle had complained about it the whole way back. By the time they got back, Jace was ready to kill her. But he managed not to, and headed right for his room, flopping back onto his bed with a sigh. That girl, the rogue, was plaguing his thoughts. He was curious why she'd choose the life of a rogue, and enjoy it. He couldn't imagine actually liking being on the run for the rest of his life.

He also wondered why she attracted attention to herself like she did. She enjoyed screwing with them, and didn't seem to worry at all about being caught. Was she that confident that she wouldn't be, or did she want to be caught? He thought the former was more likely; she was too amused to want to be caught.

His mind switched to a related train of thought. What if he was the one to catch her? He was fast, he could keep up with her. He was bigger than her, and could probably restrain her. Could he catch her? With a grin, he decided he'd try. She was too confident for her own good; it may lead her to take risks that would land her right in his hands.

And yet…

She looked so wild and happy like she was. Free. Would it be fair to capture her? She hadn't actually hurt anyone. Well, apart from the guy with the broken nose, but that was easily fixed with an _iratze_. She hadn't _seriously_ hurt anyone, anyway. Sure, she was firing arrows at Shadowhunters, but…

He shook his head. No, she was a rogue, and she'd be caught, no matter how much she enjoyed this life. He'd make sure of it.

. .

She sat on top of the Institute, her trademark grin on her lips. She'd followed the four young Shadowhunters back here, after she'd gotten her arrow back. It hadn't been hard at all. She was just curious; she hadn't encountered Shadowhunters that young in a long time. Learning they lived at the New York Institute made it even better. It made it seem like she was taunting the Clave directly, even this far away from Idris. It made her feel powerful

That was why she lived like she did. She loved taunting the Clave, coming close to being caught, screwing with their heads, then making a clean escape. She loved the adrenaline rush, the glee she got from it. The best part was that she would never be caught. She knew it; she was too fast, too stealthy for them. They could never find her once she actually tried to get away. She always led the chases, engaged them. They never caught her by surprise.

Using the various decorations on the outside wall of the old church, she lowered herself until she was looking into one of the windows. Inside, the golden boy lay asleep on his bed. He hadn't even changed before falling asleep. She grinned and tapped on the window, then moved quickly out of sight. She heard him grumble and get up. Then he was opening the window and leaning out. She let him spot her.

His golden eyes widened, and he disappeared back inside before re-emerging moments later with a knife in his hand. He climbed out the window and started towards her. She scuttled back up to the roof and ran, hearing his footsteps behind her. She stopped at the edge of the roof and turned to grin at him. He stopped, posture tense, waiting for her to make a move. He seemed slightly uncertain, probably because he hadn't expected her to stop. She simply stood there, bow on her shoulder, watching him, her deep blue eyes wide.

He took a step forward, then another. Still she didn't move. She let him approach until he was about two feet away. Then she took a single step back, causing him to freeze again. She was slightly wary; she'd never been this close to anyone before. She refused to let that get in the way of her fun. He reached out towards her, as if to touch her. She wasn't having any of that. She sidestepped until she was a little farther away from him, still on the edge of the roof, eyes locked on him. His hand fell to his side, and she noticed his other hand also loosened a bit on his knife. He didn't want to scare her, she realized.

She didn't know what would have happened next, because a big black bird flew at her, clawing at her face. She staggered, swiping at it, but it wouldn't relent. She heard a sharp whistle, and the bird relented, flying back to land on the boy's shoulder. She stared in shock, and felt a trickle of blood run from a cut on her temple. She turned to run.

"Wait!" She turned back to see the boy step forward, hand out again. The bird had flown away, and she hesitated. "Don't go. I didn't know he would be out here. Normally he's with my tutor. He's gone now, I promise."

She wasn't sure what to do. She'd never been in this situation before. He made up her mind for her when he got close enough to put a hand on her arm, his eyes never leaving hers. She tensed, but didn't run. The amount of adrenaline in her system right now compelled her to stay; she loved it. That is, until he brought the knife to her throat, and his grip tightened on her arm.

"Come on." He tugged on her arm, and she ripped free, sending him stumbling back. She turned and jumped, catching a gargoyle on the church and dropping from there. She landed in a crouch and ran, shoving through the crowd of mundanes, making her escape. A glance behind over her shoulder told her he was already falling behind. She turned into an alley and climbed up, to the roof. Once up there, she ran again, quickly losing her tail.

Once again, she had escaped, like she knew she would.

. .

Review! And I realize I forgot to mention in the last two chapters, there may be times I don't post for very long periods of time. There is a lot of crap going on in my life right now, and sometimes I just don't want to write. Very much unlike now, when I am writing like crazy.


	4. Chapter 3

Oh my God, I haven't updated in FOREVER! I missed updating…but now I'm back! :D So, I wanted to address a few things.

One: I didn't update because I get sidetracked easily and there are…not so great things happening in my life right now. Especially for a fifteen-year-old. So I put it off.

Two: PLEASE REVIEW! I saw how many people viewed my story, and it was in the two hundreds, but I only have like three reviews! Reviews help me know if you like it, and want it to keep going. Also, if anybody has ideas for future chapters, they are also appreciated. I want this to be a longer story, but the way it's going it will end much sooner than I'd like. I have Chapters 4 and 5 already written, but I haven't gotten farther than that. So ideas are more than welcome!

My rant is over. Now, on to the story!

Chapter Song: So Far Away, by Avenged Sevenfold (Scene 1, when the

rogue is thinking about her family. It is originally for a lost friend, so I thought it would fit here).

Nightmare, by Avenged Sevenfold (Scene 1, when she remembers the hunt. Yes, I know, two by the same band. What can I say? I love A7X :)).

Chapter 3:

She sat on top of the nondescript house, lost in thought. She was thinking about why she'd begun this life.

She remembered the blood, most of all. The blood, and her mother's whispered pleas for mercy. They were ignored, of course. Her father's struggles had been futile, as well. She'd only been a little girl, maybe nine years old. Because she had been small for her age – she still was – she had been able to squeeze herself underneath her bed. It had been a tight fit, but it had been enough. They hadn't found her, and left without searching.

She'd wriggled out, and crawled to her mother, who was closer to her hiding place. She had still been alive, but barely. The blood was blooming in a horrific flower on her shirt around the stab wound in her chest. She was dying quickly. The little girl had held her mother's hand as she died, tears streaming down her face. Then she'd crawled over to her father, who was stronger and had held on longer. She'd curled up into his chest, and felt his arms go around her. He'd kissed the top of her head, and then went limp, his arms falling away. She cried into his shirt, her favorite shirt of his, the one that always smelled like the pine trees outside that they always played in. The normally soft material was becoming stiff with drying blood.

She'd stood up, wiped the tears from her face angrily, and ran out to the shed, where her father always kept their weapons. She grabbed a bow and a quiver full of arrows and set out, grim determination written across her face. She'd make them pay, no matter what.

That night, she killed two Shadowhunters. Clean shots, right through the eyes. She always got away. After that, though, she stopped killing them. She simply taunted them, enjoying their fear. She would haunt them like these memories haunted her, until she was no longer able.

As she remembered this, sitting on the roof of that house, she smiled a little. This was why she did what she did. The stupid Clave didn't even know who she was. They just called her "the rogue". They didn't know they'd mercilessly killed her parents, because of a damn mistake. They'd thought they were traitors. But they'd been framed. Of course, they would never listen to that. They were the almighty Clave, they never screwed up.

Below her, a door opened, and a boy stepped out. He had dark hair and glasses, and wore a shirt that read STAR WARS. He was walking slowly, as if in thought. As she watched he paused, and looked back at the now closed door. He frowned, sighed, and sat down on the curb, putting his face in his hand. He looked sad. Making a decision she had never made before, she hopped down and ever so slowly crept towards him. He didn't notice her until she sat down next to him. She'd already put a glamour on her weapons, so she didn't worry about his reaction.

The boy glanced up in surprise, his dark eyes wide. Up close, she saw how pale he was. He frowned again.

"Um…hi? Who are you?" He didn't sound mean, simply curious. She looked down for a moment.

"Rosie…" she murmured. She hadn't used her name in ages, though that was why she'd chosen the tattoo of a rose on the side of her neck.

He smiled hesitantly. She vaguely realized that he was fairly attractive, for a mundane. "Hi, Rosie. What brings you here?"

"Um…" She hadn't thought of what she'd say to him. She didn't even know why she'd come down by him. "I…don't know. I just saw you sitting here, and…" She noticed how raspy her voice was; it had been a long time since she'd actually talked to anyone.

His smile grew. "Well, thanks. I'm Simon, by the way."

She gave him a small smile, unsure what to do.

"So, you going to kick some demon ass?"

Her eyes widen in shock. She opens her mouth, and then closes it again. How did he…?

He gave her a humorless grin. "I'm a vampire. I can see your bow. And my best friend is a Shadowhunter, so I know what the gear looks like."

That explained why he was so pale. She looked down at her hands, folded in her lap. She was about to stand when he spoke again.

"Nice tattoo, by the way."

Her head whipped around, her ponytail swinging wildly. She studied his face, but he seemed honest; he was just complimenting her tattoo. He didn't know about the search. She relaxed slightly, but stood anyway. "I have to go. It was nice meeting you, Simon."

Before he could reply, she left, not running until she rounded a corner and was out of his sight.

. .

Review! :) And, yes, I know it was short. It seemed fitting to cut it off here.


	5. Chapter 4

Chapter song: Brompton Cocktail, by Avenged Sevenfold (Scene 2, when Rosie is in the park.)

And I apologize for the long chapter ahead of time. It just seemed like it should be one chapter.

Chapter 4:

Simon walked towards the Institute, where Clary was going to meet him outside. His mind was on Rosie. She'd seemed almost…scared when he'd complimented her tattoo. No, not scared, just wary. It was weird. She was pretty, though. He distantly wondered if she'd go for a vampire.

When he met up with Clary, she immediately know something was wrong. Of course she would; they'd known each other for ten years. When she asked, he just shook his head.

"I just…met a girl," he confessed. "She was acting weird. Hey, maybe you know her! She was in Shadowhunter gear."

Clary nodded. "Maybe. What's her name?"

"Rosie."

She shook her head. "Nope, don't know her."

"Oh." He frowned. "You sure? Maybe you just forgot her name. She had a tattoo on the side of her neck."

Clary stopped dead and stared at him. "A tattoo? Of what?"

"A rose. Why?" Simon was confused at her sudden change of attitude.

She licked her lips. "That's the rogue Shadowhunter everyone is worrying about. The one who shot at Alec."

Simon's eyebrows shot up. "What? But she seemed so…shy."

"Trust me, she's anything but. And Jace said she was at the Institute last night. He chased her, but she got away."

Simon considered this. He just couldn't imagine the girl he'd met doing something like that. With a shrug, he continued walking. "Well, she's gone now. And she didn't even try to shoot at me. So why don't we just go now?"

Clary sighed, following him. "Fine. But I have to tell Maryse when I get back."

"Of course. One question, though. Why is everyone chasing her? She never hurt anyone."

Clary shrugged. "I have no idea. They don't like her games."

"Why don't they, like, negotiate a peace treaty or something?"

She gave him a look. "Peace treaty, Simon?"

He shrugged. "Worked with the Downworlders, didn't it?"

"They weren't rogues screwing with our heads."

"True." He sighed. "Well, she doesn't seem all that bad. Maybe you should let off her a bit."

"I doubt they'd listen. They're pretty determined to catch her."

"Well, maybe – " Just then, a demon leaped out and tackled Clary to the ground. She screamed as it lashed at her, slicing the skin on her arm, thrown up to protect her face. Simon jumped onto its back, sinking his fangs into it. The demon simply shook him off, flinging him into a wall. His head slammed into the brick, and he slid to the ground, momentarily stunned. When he looked again, the demon had Clary's arms pinned between their bodies. She couldn't reach the small knife she had in her pocket. Simon tried to distract the thing, but it simply threw him away again. As he helplessly watched, the demon raised a clawed hand, preparing to bring it down, and –

An arrow whizzed by his head, sinking into the demon's back. It yowled, like a hellish cat, and whipped around, attempting to find the shooter. Another arrow buried itself in its head, killing it. As it disappeared Clary picked up an arrow, a perplexed expression adorning her face. Simon turned and looked up.

Rosie was perched on the edge of the roof above him, bow in hand. When Clary followed his gaze, she let out a startled gasp. "But…why…?"

Rosie jumped down, landing in a crouch in front of them. Wordlessly, she collected her arrows and straightened, not looking at either of them. She turned to leave, but Simon grabbed her arm. "No – don't go. You should come with us."

She turned to face him. She looked void of any emotion. "Why?" she whispered.

He blinked. "So we can show them that they shouldn't be hunting you down like this. You just saved her life, they should thank you, and – "

She tore her arm away. "No." she said, and ran. Clary started after her, but he stopped her.

"No, don't go after her."

Clary sighed. "You're explaining this to Maryse."

"Fine. I will." He knew she didn't need this.

"Let's just get this over with." She grabbed his arm and hauled him back to the Institute, grumbling under her breath.

. .

Rosie sat on the ground in Central Park, glamoured. She had her bow in her lap, and was sliding her fingers over the smooth wood. Her mind was on her second encounter with Simon and his redheaded friend. He thought they should stop chasing her. He'd wanted to bring her to be thanked. But they would have just taken her into custody and probably killed her. Besides, she didn't want to be thanked. She didn't need to be, because she knew they weren't grateful. She'd just saved that Shadowhunter's life, but they wouldn't care. They die all the time, it wouldn't be that much of a shame. Especially if they can catch a killer.

Simon obviously didn't know that she'd killed before. That redhead had probably told him about her rogue status, but perhaps she didn't know, either.

Why did it matter? The encounter had made her realize that this would never end. Just because she thought it a game didn't mean she could simply stop it whenever she liked and carry on like nothing had occurred. Maybe she could end it now.

She took out the short dagger she kept on her but never used. Slowly, she slid the blade across her wrist, watching the blood well up in little beads. She did it again, harder this time. More blood spilled out, down her arm. She switched hands and repeated the process, on her other wrist. She watched the blood spill out, but still it wasn't enough. She took the dagger and cut her arm from wrist to elbow. The blood came faster, and she began to feel light-headed.

Before she passed out, she thought, _Well, at least they won't be able to kill me._

. .

Review! :)


	6. Chapter 5

Hey, I need to say a few things.

One: I've hit a block in this story, so it might be a while before I update again. Unless someone reviews and gives me an idea (which I will give credit for).

Two: If Jace, or anyone else, is OOC in some chapters, I apologize. I'm new to writing fanfics in general (I only have this one and an Ouran High School Host Club one in progress right now), so I am not good at keeping them in character. I'll get better, I promise!

Three: I probably shouldn't, but I will be starting a new MI fanfic. I already have th plot sorted out (to an extent), I just need a name. PM me if you want to try and give me ideas :).

You see? I wouldn't get anywhere without you guys :p.

On to the story!

Chapter song: Heart Failure, by Sixx A.M. (Scene 1, when Jace finds

Rosie. I know it's about a drug addiction, but I thought it kind of showed the urgency of the situation).

Chapter 5:

Jace angrily sat on a bench with a huff. Clary had come back from her outing with Simon with blood on her shirt. She'd explained what had happened, and Jace had stormed out. She'd gotten away again! Yeah, she had saved Clary, but she could have gotten away by herself. Simon could have restrained the rogue, and –

His thoughts came to a stop when he looked out across Central Park, where he'd finally stopped. The rogue was lying on the ground, apparently sleeping. He slowly got up and put a glamour on himself before taking out his knife. He crept towards her, but still she didn't move. It wasn't until he got closer that he saw the blood.

He rushed forwards and knelt on the ground beside her, grabbing one arm and lifting it. A gash tore her arm open from her wrist to her elbow, and blood poured out. Her other wrist was slashed, as well. He saw the bloody dagger lying on her other side, and grabbed it, shoving it into his pocket before taking out his stele and tracing an _iratze _on the arm not torn open to the elbow. It healed the gashes, but she didn't wake up. He figured she'd lost a lot of blood, and wouldn't wake up for a while. He slung her bow over his shoulder and picked her up, cradling her to his chest. Her quiver hung from her back limply as he carried her away, the occasional drop of blood falling to the ground.

. .

When Rosie woke up she was in a plain white bed, staring up at a ceiling decorated with carvings of angels. When she sat up, she saw other beds identical to the one she occupied. She glanced down, and saw the faint white lines of the gashes she'd made, now scars. With a sigh, she laid back. She figured a Shadowhunter had found her and healed her before bringing her to what she was almost certain was the Institute. So they'd finally caught her. Maybe she'd still get away, though. Or at least try, and die trying.

How could she have been so stupid? She'd simply sat down, right in the open, and expected nobody to find her. Of course they would. She hadn't been thinking straight. No, scratch that; she hadn't been thinking at all.

A door across the room opened, and the golden boy walked in, followed by a sharp-looking woman with black hair. She closed her eyes as they reached her bedside, not wanting to deal with this at the moment. Of course, that wasn't an option. A hand shook her, and she opened her eyes again, glaring at the two Nephilim. The boy smirked, but the woman didn't react. Instead, she just sat on the edge of the bed, her back ramrod straight.

The woman opened her mouth to speak, but Rosie beat her to it. "If you're going to kill me, just do it."

The woman looked surprised for a moment before regaining her composure. "Although we should, we won't do anything to you until we get a reply from the Clave."

Rosie growled. "Screw the Clave! They'll decide to kill me, even though they're the ones who should be killed. They're lucky I haven't decided to take them out one by one."

The boy's smirk had vanished, and his golden eyes were wide with shock. He'd probably never heard anyone say something like that before.

"Why should they be killed?" the woman asked, surprisingly gently. Rosie just shook her head.

"Why should I tell you?" she demanded. "You were hunting me down, just like the rest of them. Just like they hunted – " she broke off before she said anymore. It was none of this woman's business.

With surprising tenderness, the woman brushed Rosie's hair out of her face. "Just like they hunted what?"

Rosie sighed. "My parents. They hunted them and slaughtered them like cattle. My parents didn't deserve that. They were innocent."

"Is that why you started this?"

Rosie glared at her. "You know the answer to that. But I suppose I should tell you anyway. Yes, that's why. After I killed those two, I decided to just be a thorn in the Clave's side. They can't get rid of me. If they kill me, I'll haunt them."

The boy let out a small gasp. "Mom, you never said she killed anyone…"

The woman nodded. "I thought you'd be less keen to go after her if you didn't know that. I know how you are, Jace. You would have set out right away. I didn't know how dangerous she was, and didn't want you getting hurt."

Jace narrowed his eyes, but relented, crossing his arms over his chest. Rosie sighed and closed her eyes again, leaning her head back against the pillows. "Who found me?" she whispered.

"I did." Jace answered, sitting next to his mother. "Why did you do that?"

"So you couldn't kill me."

The bed lifted a little, and she heard the door shut. But she knew one of them was still there.

She heard a sigh. "We know that you saved Clary," Jace said quietly.

She opened her eyes. "Clary?"

"Yeah. The redhead?"

She nodded. "Yeah. I couldn't just sit there and watch…"

He looked down. "Well…thanks." He sounded strained, as if it hurt him to thank her. Which it probably did. She simply shrugged, glancing away.

"I don't think they'll kill you," he murmured.

She cut a glance at him. "Why?"

"Because you had a reason. They should have interrogated your parents first. I'm sorry about that, by the way. I know how it feels to lose a parent like that."

"How?"

He sighed. "My father was killed like that. I saw the whole thing. My mother died when I was born, so that's why I live here."

She nodded. "I saw it, too. I was with both of them while they died. They didn't die right away."

"Damn." He looked down at his hands, folded in his lap. He looked like he didn't know what else to say.

"You don't have to say anything," she whispered. "I kind of hope they kill me, though…"

He frowned, and looked up at her, gold eyes flashing. "Don't be ridiculous. You have plenty of reason to live."

"Like what?" she challenged. "I killed two people. My family is dead. Nobody would want me if I walked out of here. I would live just like I do now, no home, scavenging and stealing for food."

"I'm sure someone would want you. There are plenty of people who can look past that kind of stuff."

She snorted. "I highly doubt it."

He growled. "You are such a stubborn – "

"What?" she asked quietly. He stood, his jaw tense.

"Never mind. You'd better hope they send you far away from here. I don't think I could put up with such ignorance for long. It might rub off on me, and then I would be less perfect than I am. That would be a tragedy to girls everywhere."

She rolled her eyes. "I'm sure. I'd be happy to get away from you. I mean, I barely fit in this room, your ego is so big."

"That's not the only thing that's big," he said, and winked. She growled and grabbed a lamp on the bedside table, flinging it at him. He dodged, a grin growing on his face. "What, you don't believe me?"

She scowled and sat back, jaw tense. He laughed and sat back down on her bed, brushing off the past minute. He was close enough that she could just reach out and grab him, wrap her hands around his neck and squeeze…

"I know I am stunningly attractive, but a picture would last longer than staring like that."

She swung out, fully intending to hit him. She didn't even see him move, but suddenly she was lying on her back, wrists pinned at her sides, with Jace hovering over her. Her eyes widened, and he smirked. "Are you going to behave now?"

She narrowed her eyes and spit in his face; she still was a bit angry that he brought her here. He stilled, moving one of her wrists to his other hand so he could wipe his face, which held no expression. When he spoke, his voice was flat. "Well, I suppose that's as good of an answer as I'm going to get, huh?"

He had his stele in his hand, and he traced a rune on her wrist. Suddenly, she couldn't move, and looked up at him with wide eyes. His smirk was back. "Bye, then." He got up and left the room, leaving her lying immobile. She stared angrily at the door for a moment before slamming her head back on the pillow with a sigh. She really was in deep shit.

. .

You know what to do! ;) If you review, I will post two in one day! I need to know if you like it! Pretty please?


	7. Chapter 6

Chapter song: Escape, by Metallica (Overall, but especially near the end of the chapter. I think it's just perfect :).)

I would like to give a shout out to MikiMoke, who helped me write this chapter. This person (not sure if they are a guy or girl – sorry if I offended you!) suggested each character visit Rosie, and I fully intended to do that, but then I got this idea, and it continues like it does now. But I would not have gotten this chapter done in the first place if it wasn't for them.

And, sorry for the long wait, but I was busy writing TWO chapters for you! :D.

On to the story!

DISCLAIMER: I do not own The Mortal Instruments. Cassandra Clare does.

Chapter 6:

She didn't know how long she laid there, unable to move because of the damn rune Jace put there, but she thought she dozed off, because it seemed like only minutes later when someone shook her awake, though it must have been longer. She blinked the sleep away and realized she could move again. She bolted into a sitting position and stared at the girl in front of her with narrowed eyes. She recognized her from the first time she'd seen the golden boy – Jace. The raven-haired girl smiled, showing glaringly white teeth.

"Hi, I'm Isabelle," the girl said in an annoyingly perky voice. "Jace told me you couldn't move. Is that true?"

Rosie growled. "The idiot put some rune on me so I couldn't escape."

Isabelle smirked. "Smart move on his part. Also, I've been dying to do your hair since you got here. It's so pretty, I bet it'd be gorgeous styled."

Rosie slowly breathed in through her nose; she would not let these morons get the best of her. "Do. Not. Touch. Me." she muttered through gritted teeth. Isabelle blinked.

"Why are you so crabby? We – well, Jace saved your life! You should be grateful!"

She snorted. "Grateful? Why, because now someone can murder me instead?"

"Of course not! We don't murder other Shadowhunters."

"Mhm, tell that to my parents."

Isabelle fell silent, staring down at her hands. When she spoke again, her voice was quiet. "You know, you could have just reported it to the Clave instead of doing what you're doing. It would have been easier."

"And less fun." Rosie said sarcastically. "Besides, they were already hunting me, so I thought I might as well get some amusement out of it."

"By killing someone?"

"Two someones," she corrected. "And no, that wasn't particularly fun. But what I've been doing is loads of fun."

Isabelle stood, her long hair swinging. "Well, I suppose I have nothing left to say to you then." She strode out, the heels of her boots clicking on the floor. Rosie rolled her eyes and leaned back with a sigh. Some girls could be so dramatic.

She tried stretching and found, to some surprise, that the effects of the rune had worn off. Grinning, she slid out of bed, fully intending to make her escape out the window, but paused. She needed her bow. With an exasperated sigh, she crept out the door, which Isabelle had left open. Nobody was visible in the halls, so she made her way to the right, hoping she could find her bow with minimal complications. As luck would have it, though, she heard someone walking behind her, and ducked into the nearest room, not bothering to check for occupants. Turning, she saw she'd hidden in a library, with a huge desk in the middle. Luckily, nobody was there at the moment, so she simply waited until the footsteps had faded away. Then she continued on her hunt.

Rosie came to a much larger set of doors, and cautiously opened one. Her eyes widened; inside were dozens upon dozens of weapons. Maces, battle axes, knives, swords, featherstaffs, bows, and many others. She quickly scanned the bows, and, with a huge sigh of relief, spotted hers, hanging on the wall near the floor. Her quiver was next to it. She rushed to grab them, situating them on her back where they were meant to be. She turned to leave, but paused, looking back at all the weapons. They would be handy in a fight…

After a quick inner debate, she decided on taking a long, wicked-looking dagger, which she shoved into her boot. Then she left, trying to at least find a room with a window she could get out of. She wandered the huge building for a bit before finding rows and rows of doors. Opening a few, she found that this was the residential wing of the Institute. One of them that she opened looked vacant, except for a few books sitting on the nightstand. She went to the window, yanking it open and reveling in the breeze that wafted in. She'd lifted herself onto the windowsill when someone spoke behind her.

"You know, it's really not polite to leave without telling anyone."

She turned to see Golden Boy, leaning against the doorframe, where she'd so carelessly left the door open. She narrowed her eyes and waited to see what he'd do. But he just stood there, arms crossed across his chest, looking slightly bored. "I think I've overstayed my welcome. I'll just be going now."

Before she could react, he was in front of her, grabbing her arm and hauling her back into the room. "Oh, no you don't. You can't get away that easily."

She kicked out, but he moved so her foot didn't hit him, now holding both her wrists. Now he looked almost amused. "There's really no use fighting, you know. You can't get away from me."

She smiled slightly, forcing herself to relax. "I have before."

"Not this time." Just as she'd planned, he loosened his grip a bit, enough for her to yank her arms away and dash to the window, jumping without paying attention to whether or not there was anything to catch her fall. She reached out, and nearly ripped her arm out of its socket when she managed to grab onto a gargoyle. She pulled herself up onto it and glanced up, catching a glimpse of Jace climbing out the window, which she now recognized as his bedroom window. She cautiously scaled her way down the building, not wanting to fall and break a leg. She felt the adrenaline rush that came with a chase, and wondered why she'd ever wanted to kill herself. Maybe she was PMSing. Or maybe it was just the adrenaline talking now. Either way, she was going to enjoy it while she could.

She finally hit the ground, and ran, that same smile on her face, her green eyes gleaming. This time, though, she let him keep up. Not enough to catch her, of course, just enough to keep it interesting.

. .

Jace, very surprisingly, was struggling to keep up. But he wouldn't lose her this time. That simply wasn't an option for him. He couldn't believe he'd let her get this far ahead. He pushed himself harder, trying to catch up to her so he could take her back to the Institute.

She suddenly swerved into an alley, and, when he followed, she was nowhere to be found. He cursed, pounding his fist on the wall in frustration. She got away. Again.

. .

So, there's the first of two chapters I will post today. Review!


	8. Chapter 7

The second of two promised chapters. Thank you again for all those who support this story. It means a lot to me. I love just escaping to this world rather than living in my own (rather boring) one :).

On to the story!

. .

Rosie sat on a bench in Central Park, partly just to sit there where anyone could walk by and see her, and partly so she could think. She was actually wondering where her sudden suicidal urges came from. Now that the adrenaline had worn off, she knew it wasn't just PMS, but maybe that day her emotions were running high, and she made it more serious than it was. She still felt like there wasn't much for her if she stopped this, but now she realized that she could go anywhere in the world, and find new targets, and keep it interesting. She knew if she didn't want to, she would never be captured again. So maybe she could keep going, just a little longer anyway.

Now that she'd gotten her stupid teenage emotions mostly sorted out, she had something else to do. She got up and ran, remembering exactly when to turn, what street to take, until she found that same nondescript house. She hesitated a moment, unsure, but then steeled herself and marched up to the door, ringing the doorbell. She waited until a girl with longish brown hair opened the door. When she saw Rosie she blinked, then smiled. "Hello. Are you here for Simon?"

Rosie nodded, just a bit confused. The girl never lost her smile. "Okay! I'll go get him. Wait here!"

Then she was gone, yelling Simon's name through the house. She heard him grumble something like "Be quiet, Becky!" before he appeared in the doorway. When he saw her his eyes widened, then he frowned. Stepping out, he shut the door behind him before whirling to face her.

"What are you doing here?" he hissed. She swallowed, suddenly not liking her idea. But she would follow through on it.

"That redhead – um, Clary. You know her well?"

Simon blinked, taken off guard for a moment. He nodded slowly, eyes wary. "Yeah, we've been friends for almost ten years. We hang out a lot. Why?"

She shrugged, feigning indifference. "No reason. So, I was wondering, if maybe you'd want to get lunch with me or something?"

He blinked again. "Wait, what? You…want to go out with me? Aren't you being hunted?"

She raised one eyebrow. "Are you saying you don't want to?"

"Well – I mean, yeah, it'd be cool, but I mean, you're being hunted, and I could get in a lot of trouble for it, and –"

Quickly losing patience with him, she put her hands on his shoulders, stretching up on her toes so she could put her lips only inches away from his. He shut up immediately, eyes huge. Seductively, she whispered, "I wouldn't let them touch you. Of course, there's no promise that _I_ won't, but –"

He stopped her then, closing his eyes and jerking away from her. She saw his throat working, and smiled to herself. She had him now. "Well? What do you say?"

He sighed, then nodded jerkily, opening his dark eyes again. "Fine. But if I get in trouble for this…"

"You won't," she assured him. "Meet me in Central Park tomorrow around noon." With that, she turned and walked away, feeling his eyes on her back.

He was kind of cute, she mused. It was a shame she was only using him.

. .

Yes, I know this chapter is very short, but I didn't want to add anything on to this one. You will have to wait to find out what happens next ;). Review!


	9. AN

Okay, so I apologize so much if this story has become boring to you. I'm trying to change it up, but I realized that it is actually very repetitive. I actually have no idea whatsoever where I am going with this plot, and am actually considering putting it up for grabs for someone else to continue. I think someone else could do a much better job than me. If you would be interested in this, message me or review. If that does happen, I will be very excited to see how the new author does. If you think I should continue, review. I really need your input on this.


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